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The 11 Most Banned Books of the 2022-2023 School Year
These were the 11 most banned books of the 2022-2023 school year, according to PEN America's Index of Banned Books. More
Mengyin Lin | 2023 PEN/Robert J. Dau Prize Winner
Every person’s reality is different from another’s, even from those who are closest. How do we move forward? How do we think about the future without overlooking the present? More
Review of Over 20,000 Books in Georgia School District is “Outrageous”
Kasey Meehan, Freedom to Read program director at PEN America, said: “This outrageous policy decision is sure to lead to censorship. Schools and school libraries must serve the information-needs… More
On Anniversary of Mahsa Amini Protests, U.S. Congress Affirms Support for Women’s Rights in Iran
“In the year since Mahsa (Jina) Amini’s death, Iranian women in particular have continued to bravely use their voices to speak out against the abuses of the Iranian government.… More
Call for Egyptian Government to Immediately Release Poet Galal El-Behairy, Following Reported Suicide Attempt
Justin Shilad, PEN America’s Middle East and North Africa research and advocacy lead, said: “The Egyptian government is responsible for Galal El-Behairy’s health and safety behind bars, just as… More
Israeli authorities target Palestinian students’ freedom to learn
The Israeli government should immediately stop this cruel and malicious practice of book banning at gunpoint. More
Lisa Wartenberg | 2023 PEN/Robert J. Dau Prize Winner
I was interested in the stories young girls are told, and how wildly violent these can be –– reflecting, of course, the atrocities of the larger landscape. More
PEN America Speaks: How We Defended and Celebrated Free Expression The Week of September 11
PEN America works tirelessly to defend free expression, support persecuted writers, and promote literary culture. Here are some of the latest ways PEN America is speaking out. More
Elon Musk’s X must ensure safety of users, as Saudi authorities issue first death sentence solely for social media activity
We call on X to uphold its human rights responsibilities and ensure the safety of its users against state monitoring and surveillance. More
PEN America Comments on Federal Government Appointment in Response to School Book Bans
PEN America has been at the forefront of documenting and defending against the unprecedented rise of school book bans nationwide. Texas, Florida and Missouri lead with the most books banned currently.… More